#seasidestashbustingblanket weeks 5 – 8

I thought you might like a little update on the slow CAL (crochet a long) I am participating in which is being hosted by coastal crochet…details of weeks 1 – 4 are just here. You may have seen it across social media with the #seasidestashbustingblanket.

mixed stitches…

There are several things I am enjoying about this CAL. The first of which is the pace. Eleonara, is releasing just four rows a week; two on a Monday and two on a Friday and so it feels very relaxed.

as approved by little Jess

The second little gem is that I am busting my stash! The CAL’s focus is using up what you already have and so this blanket is being made entirely from stash. I have a lot of stash, not as much as some, but too much to be just lying idle. I feel like I am achieving something very positive using up my hoard and turning my treasure into usable wealth.

The third pleasure is the online community element of this CAL. I have met and chatted with so many talented ladies and gentleman and have been inspired and encouraged. It never ceases to amaze me how folk can hook the same pattern and yet the different colour choices make it look so different.

Creativity…I just love it!

week 8

Eleonora, has called it her seaside blanket because she lives by the sea and takes her inspiration from her surroundings and therefore that is reflected in her colour choices. It made me smile when she introduced pink into her blanket… stating she new she would have to as it was in her stash. Eleonora, likened it to strawberry icecream on the beach, which I liked a lot.

It got me thinking about the colours in my blanket and what they reminded me of and after some thought I think they remind me of a stormy sunset.

So I am going to call this my Stormy Sunset blanket…what do you think?

I love the colours in your blanket, especially that really soft pink. I can see it as a stormy sunset… But I wonder if that will change when it gets bigger. My blanket gets a different feel to it each time I add new colours to it. Glad your enjoying it too… I’m loving this cal

Oh Julia, do you think it will…I’d not thought of that! Now I ‘m even more impatient for the next set of rows. How do you decide on your colours? I have a bag with my chosen stash yarns for this blanket and once I have finished a set of rows I decide what colours I will use next before I know what the row will look like. Sometimes I have a change of heart when I see what the stitch is. I know some folk are just closing their eyes and picking a colour more randomly. It is so much fun, I love not knowing what is coming next. xx

I reckon if you’ve already chosen your colours then it will still look like a stormy sunset… But try not to over analyse it while picking your next colour otherwise you’ll make it stressful. I have a box with all my non variegated yarns and I tip them all out on the floor when I see the next set of rows and choose what I fancy! Sometimes my choice is due to representing things eg waves, gannets, anemones, or limpets. At the start I just picked colours that I thought went together nicely, or I chose the smallest ball of yarn to try to use it up, or à yarn that I used for another project that I wanted represented in my blanket! See how sophisticated my choice making is! 😉 but I’m having a lot of fun with the freedom this brings. I was worried after my gannet rows that those colours wouldn’t work with anything else I chose, but I think I worried unnecessarily.

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Mostly enjoying this busy, beautiful life with lots of yarn and a hook! I'm hooked on God, my 3 boys, Mr R and if your reading this then you'll know I'm hooked on crochet too!!
By day I am a full time nurse working in the community in children's health, but by night I am a maker of cute baby things. Pop over to my Etsy shop by clicking the tab at the top of this page or message me if you would like me to make you a custom order.
I also love to blog and Instagram my creative journey and design my own crochet patterns; you can find me by clicking the links below.
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